Issues and Advocacy
in Marin Cities and Towns
April 2006 Update
Every spring MCBC reports on what’s been happening in each of Marin’s 11 incorporated towns and cities as we work to implement the local Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans. This year, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) has initiated a process to update the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans in each city and town over the next two years. The latest activities for each community are summarized below - click on each town/city name for the latest news.
One countywide project moving forward is the County of Marin Bicycle Route Guide Signage project. The project has installed – in Sausalito, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Corte Madera and Larkspur – directional bike route signs that feature a Mount Tamalpais logo and route numbers. The project should be completed this year, with new signs installed in San Rafael, Novato, San Anselmo, Ross and Fairfax.
For more information about MCBC’s ongoing work in your city or town, please contact Eric Anderson, MCBC Director of Planning, at 415-456-3469 ext. 4# or eric@marinbike.org.
Read the April 2008 Update
Read the April 2007 Update
Read the April 2005 Update
Belvedere
Corte Madera
Corte Madera installed new bicycle lanes on San Clemente Drive as part of a roadway resurfacing project. In addition, the project reconstructed the parallel multiuse path, which was badly in need of resurfacing. The town continues to seek funding to implement segments of the Bay Trail detailed in the Corte Madera Bay Trail Feasibility Study.
Fairfax
Progress continues on two major bicycle and pedestrian projects. Consultants working on the Center Boulevard Project have prepared the first engineering drawings, which include bike lanes, wider sidewalks and improved landscaping. Town staff are working with Caltrans to ensure speedy approval of the design so the project can move forward. A Safe Routes to Schools project will install new sidewalks and a bike/ped bridge at Manor Circle; there is also a crosswalk planned at this location to help school children get across Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
Center Boulevard Public Hearing
Larkspur
This winter Caltrans completed construction of bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the Larkspur area related to the HOV Gap Closure Project. The improvements occurred on the Corte Madera Creek overcrossing on the west side of Highway 101 and included widening and reconstructing the southern end of the overcrossing and repaving the pathway to ensure that it drains properly. In addition, Caltrans made improvements to the overcrossing on the east side of Highway 101, including repaving the path at the southern end of the bridge and installing a safety rail between the sidewalk and the roadway.
Mill Valley
Supervisor Charles McGlashan and local MCBC members, including Transportation Alternatives for Marin’s Patrick Seidler, have been busy addressing everything from routine maintenance of bikeways to crafting a vision for transportation here. Supervisor McGlashan has taken the lead on issues such as bikeway street-sweeping, repaving the shoulders of Shoreline Highway, and finding a solution to the often-flooded Tennessee Valley Pathway, which runs parallel to Coyote Creek. McGlashan and Seidler convened a group of local representatives to advise the Supervisor on transportation issues in the greater Mill Valley/Southern Marin area. The group plans to address concerns of all modes, including transit, bicycling and walking.
Novato
A much-needed repaving project with bike lanes was recently completed on Redwood Boulevard . Department of Public Works staff worked closely with the Novato Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and MCBC staff to ensure that the bike lanes were re-striped according to Caltrans standards. Each bike lane is substantially improved with new stencils, signage and innovative striping strategies at intersections, all of which should help make cyclists more visible to motorists and prevent illegal parking in the bike lanes.
The Novato City Council recently approved bicycle lanes on Diablo Avenue from Novato Boulevard to Center, a key connection in the citywide bikeway network. The BPAC has also been working on incorporating bicycle- and pedestrian-related enhancements into other projects. They were successful in getting bicycle storage added to zoning code or standards for large or multi-family projects and have been working to include bicycle parking as a part of the Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and City Hall projects. In the greater Novato area, thanks to the efforts of Supervisor Cynthia Murray, the County of Marin recently completed new bicycle lanes on Atherton Avenue.
Ross
In recent years, the town council has approved both a Safe Routes to Schools infrastructure plan and a local project to build a sidewalk/bikeway along Sir Frances Drake to improve school access. As part of the bicycle and pedestrian master plan update process, the town will be developing its first bicycle and pedestrian master plan.
San Anselmo
The town recently completed a Safe Routes to Schools sidewalk and bike lane project on Butterfield Road that will serve school children and local residents. Public Works Director Rabi Elias has secured an easement as part of a development permit to install a future sidepath along the west side of Sir Frances Drake at Butterfield, to allow cyclists to access the residential street bikeway network without riding on Drake.
Demonstration Bicycle Route Stencils Installed in San Anselmo
San Rafael
San Rafael recently received a Transportation Funds for Clean Air grant in the amount of $150,000 for implementation of some of the short-term elements of the San Rafael Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Eligible projects include signing, striping of bike lanes and other construction-minimal projects. Department of Public Works Director Andy Preston convened a special workshop meeting of the San Rafael Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to discuss which projects should be prioritized for implementation.
TAM and the City of San Rafael have initiated a Canal Community-Based Transportation Planning process to identify solutions to access problems within and to and from the Canal, including walking, bicycling, transit and driving. San Rafael DPW has also committed to marking the reconstructed West Francisco Boulevard as a bike route, and has been actively involved in the Lincoln Hill pathway project, which will be constructed at the same time as the HOV Gap Closure Project, providing a connection from Mission Avenue to North San Pedro Road.
Comments on Draft San Rafael 2020 General Plan
(Public Hearings on Draft are on Tuesday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 23)
Sausalito
Supervisor Charles McGlashan has been working closely with the County of Marin Department of Public Works and the MCBC to solve safety problems for southbound cyclists transitioning between the multi-use pathway at Gate 6 Road and the bike lanes on Bridgeway. Supervisor McGlashan and DPW Director Farhad Mansourian have been discussing innovative treatments for the area that should improve visibility and safety for cyclists.
Tiburon
Local advocates continue to pursue bicycle improvements on Paradise Drive as a part of future hous-ing developments in the area. The Town of Tiburon is seeking funding to complete the Trestle Glen bicycle lanes connecting Tiburon Boulevard and Paradise Drive . Tiburon is moving for-ward with plans for a pedestrian path on this route, which is already funded through a Bay Trail grant.
West Marin
Comments on the Preliminary General Plan/Draft EIR for Tomales Bay S.P.
Last updated May 2008
